Liquid level indicator



Jul? 14, 1931. L1-BEECHER 1,815,001

LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR Filed April 5. 1929 Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATE NT- OFFICE EUGENE L. BEECHEE,..OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE. u-ABRIEL COMPANY,

OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, .QCORPOBATIONOF OHIO 4 LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR Application med lpr i l 5 This invention relates to systems for in'- dicating the levels of liquid supplies and, in the form shown herein, is particularly designed and adapted for the purpose of 5 indicating the height of liquid in recep j enable, any deficiency in such depth to be "indicated. A furtherand more limited object of the invention is to provide, fora system of this character, a type of fitting -or. connection, which is. adapted to be insert; ed into the upperportion of a radiator or like receptacle and which will enable the 'former objects to be realized economically, convenientl and efliciently.

As is wel known,'after an automobile ra} diator, has been filled completely and the engine has been run for a short period of time, the levelof the, water above the radiator core( is considerably lower than the level immediately after. such filling operation. For convenience of description, the level of the Water after the filling of the radiator and the running of the en ine for a short period of time willbe re erred to as the normal level. This level is. always above the radiator. core and, in 'someinstances, may be as much as two inches below the top of the radiator overflow pipe, it being recognized that the danger point to the radiator is reached when the Water level falls to thetop of such core.

. In the use of my system, I connect up the indicating device thereof with the space above a radiator core in such manner that the said device will indicate the depth of the water above the core and up to the aforesaid normal level, but any water in the radiator above such level will have 'no effect upon the indicating device. By con.- structing and using'my system in this mannor, there will be no fluctuation in the in- 1929. Serial No. 352,530.

dicating device due to the action of-the water pump'in forcing various amounts'of water into the top of the radiator in accordance with varyin engine speeds. Furthermore, there -will e to centrifugal action' when rounding curves no fluctuation due at high speed,fwhich tends to throw the water to one side of the radiator, thereby raising or lowering the level at the side of .60 ed. A furth'er'advantage of my system and its mode of installation is that it'eliminates,

the radiator to which the system is connectthe use of an extra longindic'ating column 1n a liquid-column indicating device. in order to. take care of" the head of water in the radiator when the latter is refilled; it

also takes care of pressurewhich may be generated in the radiator due to steam, which would otherwise add to the hydrostatic head and thusresult in a false reading of the indicating device and in a possible forcing of the indicating liquid out of the manometer or 'U-tube.

disadvantages referred to hereinbefore in and through the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents adiagrammatic'sectional elevation of a radiator of an automobile engine having my system connected therewith; and Fig. 2 a detail in sectional elevation illustratinga special fitting for efl'ecting an operative connection between the hydrostatic conduits of my system and the radiator.

Describing the parts by reference characters, 1 denotes generally the radiator'shell having the core 2 therein and provided above said core with a water-containing chamber or receptacle 3, the radiator having at the top of said chamber the usual filling connec- I secure'the' advantages and overcome the tion 4 and being provided with a cap 5 and the usual overflow pipe 6.

Projecting through an aperture 7 in the side of the radiator above the core is a horizontally extending cylindrical air-chamber casing or bell 8, adapted to more or less snugly the wall of the opening '1 and provided with a head 9 adapted to engage the outer surface of the radiator surrounding 9 above the radiator core 2.

the said opening andto be secured thereto,

sleeve 8 adapted to fit snugly about a pipe 11 which extends through the center of the head 9 and has its inner end bent downwardl and projected into a neck 12' similar to t check 8 and carried by the frusto-conical extension 12 of an air-chamber casing or hell 12. The pipe 11 is secured to the necks 8? and 12 by means of solder, indicated at 8 and 12, respectively. The casing 8 is provided with an opening 8 located below the normal level A and is shown as applied to the side wall of the radiator in such manner that the opening is at the bottom of the cas ing. It will be noted that the bottom of the bell formed by the parts 12, 12, is slightly The outer end of the pipe 11 is provided with a threaded nipple 13, by means of which and a glandnut 14, the adjacent end of a hydrostatic conduit 15v is secured thereto, the opposite end of the condui being connected with the up er end of t e rear. leg 16 of a liquid-contaming indicating gauge, the front or indicating leg. of which is indicated at 17, the said legs being connected by a U-bend 18. The pipe 15 and the bell 12 constitute an extension of a hydrostatic conduit which transmits the .pressure due to-the head of liquid between the bottom of the casing 8 and the bottom of the bell 12 to the top of y the li uid in the leg 16 of the indicator.

19 enotes a short pipe which is shown as extending through t e upper part of the head 9 and into the interior of the casing 8 and having at its outer end a tapered nip le 20 towhich is fitted the adjacent end 0? a coupling 21 on ahydrostatic conduit 22, the coupling 21 being secured in proper relation to the nippleb means of a gland nut 23, this bein also t e preferred manner'of connecting ie parts 11 and 15. The conduit 22 exten" to the to of the gauge glass 17 and'the pipe 19 an the casing 8 constitute an extension of a hydrostatic conduit which extends to the upper end of said gauge glass and subjects the liquid therein to the head of liquid in the radiator above the opening 8 in the casing 8. r

The fitting comprising the air-chamber casings or bells 8 and 12 and the pi es 11 and 19, forms a convenient and e ective means for connecting the external pipes ofthe hydrostatic conduits to the radiator shell; while the casings or bells 8- and 12 provide e ansion chambers which prevent the indicating device from beingafiected by temperature variations;

For the purpose ofxclearing the conduits 15, 11 and 12 and 22, 19 and 8 of liquid which may enter theb'ottoms' of the casings 8 and 12, I connect each of these conduits said conduits.

the same and to make and maintain an unbroken column of air throughout each of: This connection between the pump and the conduits may be made in the manner indicated herein; that is to say by a conduit 25 extending from the pump and having a branch 25" connected with the conduit 15 and another branch 25 connected with the conduit 22. Each of the conduits 25 and 25.is provided with a mercury check valve 26, with a seat 27 of porous material below each such valve, and a dam 28, also of suitable porous material, above each valve.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described the operation of the system will be readily understood. For any height 1 of liquidin the chamber 3 above the opening 8*, the height of the column in the gauge glass 17 will be the same, due to the conduit 22 and 19 which serves as a balancing or equalizing line, preventing the indicating column from being afiected by variations in pressure above such opening, such variations in pressure bein due to variations in the head of liquid a ve such opening as well as to the pressure of steam upon the surface of the hquid when above such 0 ening. However, the column in the glass 1 will respond to all variations in the level of the water in the chamber 3 be-- tween the opening 8 and the bottom of the bell 12, as the top of the column in such cases will usually, be subjected only to atmospheric pressure through the conduit 22, i 19 By placing. the opening 8 below the normal level A, this openin will not be uncovered when the vehic e is rounding a curve at high speed in a direction to lower the said level on the side of the radiator to which said opening is' adjacent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In asystem forindicating variations of the'level of the liquid in a receptacle and comprising an indicating device tube type containing an indicatin liquid a conduit connected at one end witli one o the branches of said device anda conduit connected at one end to the other branch of the said. device, a fittin opposite ends of the con nits in communication with the liquid insaid receptacle, the said fitting compr sing a cylindrical pointed, horizontally extending, air chamber for placing the of the U- opening in the bottom thereof and one of said conduits being sealed through the wall thereof which projects outside said recepsignature.

EUGENE L. BEECHER. 

